Kanji Study

Bushu (Radical) Info: 力 (ちから) – strong

Henshall Mnemonic: strength moves heavy object

Levels: JLPT N4 | JLPT 3 (old) | Grade 3
Frequency: #73 of the 2500 most used kanji in newspapers

Common Words and/or Phrases Using this Kanji:

Click any individual kanji to view a similar information sheet for it.
Click [K] to look up the word's individual character(s) at WWWJDIC.
Click [D] to look up the word at WWWJDIC (definition is the same but other useful features exist).
Click [Jisho] to look up the word at Jisho.org.

JLPT N5 Words

• 動物   [どうぶつ]
  (n) animal   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 自動車   [じどうしゃ]
  (n) automobile   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N4 Words

• 動く   [うごく]
  (v5k,vi) to move; to stir; to shift; to shake; to swing; to operate; to run; to go; to work; to be touched; to be influenced; to waver; to fluctuate; to vary; to change; to be transferred   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動物園   [どうぶつえん]
  (n) zoo; zoological gardens   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N3 Words

• 行動   [こうどう]
  (n,vs) action; conduct; behaviour; mobilization   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 活動   [かつどう]
  (n,vs) action; activity   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動かす   [うごかす]
  (v5s,vt) to move; to shift; to set in motion; to operate; to inspire; to rouse; to influence; to mobilize; to deny; to change   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動詞   [どうし]
  (n) verb   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 移動   [いどう]
  (n,vs) removal; migration; movement   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 運動   [うんどう]
  (n,vs) motion; exercise   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 自動   [じどう]
  (adj-na,n) automatic; self-motion   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 感動   [かんどう]
  (n,vs) being deeply moved emotionally; excitement; impression; deep emotion   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N2 Words

• 動作   [どうさ]
  (n) action; movements; motions; bearing; behaviour; manners   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N1 Words

• 暴動   [ぼうどう]
  (n) insurrection; rebellion; revolt; riot; uprising   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 異動   [いどう]
  (n) change   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 出動   [しゅつどう]
  (n) sailing; marching; going out   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動き   [うごき]
  (n) movement; activity; trend; development; change   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動員   [どういん]
  (n,vs) mobilization   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 騒動   [そうどう]
  (n) strife; riot; rebellion   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動機   [どうき]
  (n) motive; incentive   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動向   [どうこう]
  (n) trend; tendency; movement; attitude   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 不動産   [ふどうさん]
  (n) real estate   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 変動   [へんどう]
  (n,vs) change; fluctuation   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動揺   [どうよう]
  (n,vs) disturbance; unrest; shaking; trembling; pitching; rolling; oscillation; agitation; excitement; commotion   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動力   [どうりょく]
  (n) power; motive power; dynamic force   [K] [D] [Jisho]

Other Popular Words Not Classified by JLPT

• 微動   [びどう]
  (n) slight tremor or movement; a quiver   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 選挙運動   [せんきょうんどう]
  participation in election campaign   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 機動   [きどう]
  (n) maneuver   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 機動隊   [きどうたい]
  (n) riot police   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 連動   [れんどう]
  (n) gearing; linkage   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 総動員   [そうどういん]
  (n) general mobilization   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 鼓動   [こどう]
  (n) beat; palpitation; pulsation; throbbing   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 活動家   [かつどうか]
  (n) (anti-war) activist   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 受動   [じゅどう]
  (n) passive   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 受動的   [じゅどうてき]
  (adj-na) passive   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 駆動   [くどう]
  (n) driving force   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 扇動   [せんどう]
  (n,vs) agitation; abetting   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動   [どう]
  (n) motion; change; confusion   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動じる   [どうじる]
  (v1) to be perturbed; to be agitated   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 人事異動   [じんじいどう]
  personnel change; personnel shift; reshuffle; (annual) staff reassignment   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動もすれば   [ややもすれば]
  (adv) being apt to; being liable to; being inclined to   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 胎動   [たいどう]
  (n) quickening; foetal (fetal) movement; fomenting (trouble)   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 震動   [しんどう]
  (n,vs) shock; tremor; impact   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 能動   [のうどう]
  (n) active   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動画   [どうが]
  (n) moving image   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 能動的   [のうどうてき]
  (adj-na) active   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 社会運動   [しゃかいうんどう]
  social movement   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 動議   [どうぎ]
  (n) a motion   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 不動   [ふどう]
  (adj-na,n) immobility; firmness; fixed; steadfastness; motionless; idle   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 衝動   [しょうどう]
  (n) impulse; urge   [K] [D] [Jisho]

Find more details for 動 at jisho.org, Yookoso! or WWWJDIC

Acknowledgments

The sofware used to generate this kanji information uses the EDICT and KANJIDIC files. These files are the property of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group at Monash University and are used in conformance with the Group's license.

NOTE: I converted the sources just mentioned years ago and have never really updated so there may be some missing or incorrect information that has been addressed in the original sources but not here.

The first Stroke Order image used on this page is courtesy of Ulrich Apel's excellent open source KanjiVG project. The second image is from the folks at the excellent Jisho Japanese-English dictionary site and it too is based on KanjiVG.

Classifying the kanji and popular vocabulary by the new JLPT levels was done by consulting Jonathan Waller‘s JLPT Resources page, renshuu, Wictionary, and Nihongo Ichiban.

The Henshall Mnemonics are the copyright of Tuttle Publishing and are the result of the hard work by Professor Henshall. See the list I used here.

If you are curious about the lexicography shown in the word definitions, visit the WWWJDIC abbreviations and codes guide and the JMdict/Edict Lexicographical details page.